1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to carrying cases. In particular, the present invention relates to carrying cases having means for protecting delicate instruments or objects stored therein against damage from impacts.
2. Background
Portable computers such as laptop or notebook computers have become increasingly popular due to their transportability, allowing such computers to be used in various places during and/or following transport. To enhance transportability, portable computers are typically designed to minimize size and weight and, therefore, do not usually include excess room for accommodating shock or impact absorbing materials or structure to protect sensitive components of the computers against damage from impacts. As a result, portable computers are vulnerable to damage if dropped, bumped against other objects or otherwise jarred or impacted, as often occurs during transport.
When a portable computer is stored in a closed position within a carrying case, it is particularly susceptible to damage from impacts to the side walls of the carrying case. The impact may be brief, such as when the carrying case is dropped on its side or collides with another object, or prolonged, such as when the carrying case is crammed within a crowded overhead bin of an airplane or a trunk of a car for an extended period of time. In either case, a front or back side wall impact can cause the keyboard portion of the portable computer to become pressed up against the display portion of the portable computer, thereby scratching or otherwise damaging the display.
Conventional solutions to this problem generally involve providing a flat layer of padding between the storage compartment of the carrying case that holds the portable computer and a front or rear side wall of the carrying case. However, in practice, such designs have done very little to prevent the damage caused by side impacts as set forth above. What is needed, then, is a system for protecting delicate instruments or objects stored in a carrying case, such as a portable computer, from the damage that may result from side impacts to the case. The desired system should improve upon and address one or more of the shortcomings of conventional impact protection solutions.